Discription: The world really IS ending this time...and Dante is truly afraid. After becoming caught up in horrifying current events, Dante fears that the end really is coming and falls into a deep depression. Deepak does his best to bring comfort his older brother in these uncertain times.

“Deepak...Pssssst!...Deepak!...”

A familiar voice whispered sharply in the meditating pup's ear.

He slowly opened his eyes to see his eldest sister Dolly in front of him, wearing a deeply concerned expression on her face.

“Dolly?” Deepak mumbled. “What's wrong?”

“Hey, look,” Dolly began. “I'm really sorry to disturb you, but...Do you think maybe you could check on Dante?”

“Dante?” Deepak tilted his head. “What's wrong with him?”

“See,” she explained, “He's acting really weird lately. He's hardcore stressing over the 'end of the world,' and--”

“But...isn't he always worrying about that?” the tiny pup inquired.

“Not like this,” Dolly replied. “I mean, usually he's screaming out his latest prophecies for everyone to hear and making a great big stink about it. But lately he's just...Not saying anything. He's hardly eating, he barely ever gets out of his bed...Dylan had to take the tablet away from him because he kept reading these news articles online and it was driving him crazy.”

Tears began to stream down Dolly's face. “It's like he's not even the same Dante anymore. It's scary.”

“Oh...My...” Deepak bit his lip worriedly.

“Yeah,” Dolly affirmed. “That's why I was hoping maybe you could try and get through to him. I know this is kinda heavy, and I understand if--”

“It's fine,” Deepak assured her as he slowly rose from his yoga cushion. “I'd be more than happy to talk to him.”

“Thanks a lot, Deepak,” Dolly smiled, looking slightly relieved. “He should still be upstairs in his bed right now.”

Deepak nodded and made his way up the stairs and through the hallway.

He quietly entered the bedroom and, sure enough, Dante was curled up inside his dark little cubbyhole bed. The curtain was mostly drawn, but Deepak could spot his brother's black tail poking out.

The tiny yogi pup slowly made his way over and peeked inside. Dante was laid out with his head down low, just staring listlessly into space. He was completely silent, save for the sound of slightly whiny breathing.

“Brother Dante,” Deepak murmured softly. “Is everything alright?”

Dante didn't lift his head or look at Deepak at all. He just continued to stare ahead of him. After a few awkward moments of silence, however, he finally piped up.

“I'm scared, Deepak,” Dante's wavering voice choked out. “I'm...I'm scared.”

Dante slowly turned his head toward his little brother, revealing that his eyes were bloodshot and puffy from crying and lack of sleep.

“Whenever I have a prophecy about the world ending,” Dante explained, “It's always some sort of big, exciting event; Meteors, robot uprisings, zombie infestations...All these fantastic, epic scenarios like in the movies.”

Dante lay his head back down.

“But all of this stuff going on now,” he continued, “It's way too...real. Too raw. There's nothing exciting or epic about it. Everyone's locked in their homes. No one can find enough food or supplies. The humans can't even travel or work or go to school. And all of it just drives in the point for me that...people are dying. Like...really dying.”

Deepak frowned, unsure of what to say, as he watched Dante cover his eyes with his paws.

“A-and what if it ends up affecting animals, too?” Dante asked shakily. “What about you, and me, and our siblings? ...What about Dorothy? She's just a baby. She'd never be able to survive. We'd lose her, and there would've been nothing we could've done about it.”

Tears started flowing from behind Dante's paws.

“The world really is ending this time,” he sobbed, “and I'm actually afraid.”

Dante lay there and sobbed loudly for a few moments. His stomach was churning and his throat was sore from all the crying he'd been doing in the past few days. He'd never felt more hopeless in his life. He couldn't even be happy about being “right,” because he never predicted that this would be the way things really ended.

He suddenly felt something small nuzzle up to him, and a pair of paws lovingly wrapped around him.

Dante looked over to see Deepak gently hugging and caressing him. The little pup's eyes were closed as he concentrated his calming vibes into his goth brother.

“Just breathe, brother...” Deepak whispered into Dante's ear. “Close your eyes...”

Dante felt his eyes slide shut as his head gently lowered itself back down. Everything seemed to fall silent around him, apart from his little brother's voice, as his mind began drifting into a meditative state.

“Just focus on the sensations around you right now,” Deepak quietly instructed. “What are you experiencing?”

“I...feel...” Dante mumbled, “You...hugging me...and I hear you...whispering...in my ear...”

“Now, tell me...” Deepak continued, “...What feelings does this evoke?”

“I feel...warm...” Dante responded dreamily, “...and relaxed...and loved....and...and safe...”

“Good...” Deepak affirmed. “Focus your awareness on these feelings...Allow yourself to feel completely safe in this present moment...”

“Mmm...Sa...Safe...” Dante mumbled in a trancelike manner.

“Brother Dante...” Deepak whispered comfortingly into his hypnotized brother's ear. “We may not know what tomorrow will bring...but one thing is absolutely certain...We will face it together...as a family...We will always be here for each other...And so we will always be safe, no matter what...There is nothing that can happen that our family's love for one another won't see us through...For now, know that everything is alright...I'm here by your side, calming you...We are safe...You are safe...Just breathe...”

Dante breathed deeply and steadily as instructed. He wore a small, contented smile on his face as he relaxed under Deepak's spell.

The goth soon fell into a deep, restful sleep; one he hadn't known in days.

Satisfied at the sight of his brother finally feeling serene and secure, Deepak drifted off to sleep by his side.